Sign in with Facebook
Loading...
75th out of 395 books
—
334 voters
Letter from a Stranger
Justine Nolan is a documentary film maker who lost her beloved grandmother a decade ago—the person who was the only source of love and comfort in her life. Her own mother Deborah had always been distant and uninvolved, following her own agenda in pursuit of her career as an interior designer. But when Justine inadvertently opens a letter addressed to her mother, she discov...more
Hardcover, 432 pages
Published
March 27th 2012
by St. Martin's Press
(first published September 1st 2011)
Friend Reviews
To see what your friends thought of this book,
please sign up.
Community Reviews
(showing
1-30
of
1,334)
Mar 31, 2012
Lady Danielle aka The Book Huntress
rated it
3 of 5 stars
Recommends it for:
WW2 enthusiasts
Shelves:
adc-reviews,
mainstream-fiction,
women-s-fiction-territory,
epistolary-narrative,
read-by-march-2012,
arc,
yearly-reading-challenge,
2012-sky-s-the-limit-club,
early-to-mid-twentieth-century,
ww2,
jewish-hero-or-heroine,
prejudice,
friendship,
family,
love-at-first-sight,
not-romance-but-has-love-story,
angsty-read,
deep-dark-secret,
chick-lit-or-women-s-fiction
I finally finished this, and I am very glad I did. While some parts did not appeal to me, the memoirs of Justine and Richard's grandmother, Gabriele were very moving and at times heartbreaking.
I can't quite give this four stars because it was too slow moving initially, but it's definitely worth 3.5 stars, just for the WW2 narrative.
Reviewed for Affaire de Coeur Magazine. http://affairedecoeur.com.
I can't quite give this four stars because it was too slow moving initially, but it's definitely worth 3.5 stars, just for the WW2 narrative.
Reviewed for Affaire de Coeur Magazine. http://affairedecoeur.com.
4.5 - I won this from FirstReads after entering because the description captured my attention. When I received the book I got a little nervous. It looked more like an older Delinsky book than I would have liked. More romance-y/chick-lit-y if you will. Not my thing.
I read an ARC in early March so I don't know if the cover of the ARC is the same as an actual edition cover but I don't feel it's right for this story. It's not that it doesn't fit - it's just too generic. It gives no real feel for the...more
I read an ARC in early March so I don't know if the cover of the ARC is the same as an actual edition cover but I don't feel it's right for this story. It's not that it doesn't fit - it's just too generic. It gives no real feel for the...more
Reviewed by: Lisa
Book provided by:Get Red PR
Review originally posted at Romancing the Book
While enjoying the weekend at her family’s Connecticut home, Indian Ridge, Justine Nolan opens a letter that will change her life and those around her. She learns that her grandmother is alive and did not perish in a plane crash. For the past ten years Justine and her twin brother Richard have grieved the loss of their beloved grandmother Gabrielle. Their mother Deborah purposely had estranged herself and h...more
Book provided by:Get Red PR
Review originally posted at Romancing the Book
While enjoying the weekend at her family’s Connecticut home, Indian Ridge, Justine Nolan opens a letter that will change her life and those around her. She learns that her grandmother is alive and did not perish in a plane crash. For the past ten years Justine and her twin brother Richard have grieved the loss of their beloved grandmother Gabrielle. Their mother Deborah purposely had estranged herself and h...more
I bought this for a dollar and I am glad I did not spend any more than that. The first thing I did not like was that the romantic story is based on love at first sight- a trite concept that made me gag. Here is an example: "I'm madly in love with Michael. It's Monday and I mrt him only last Friday. That's 72 hours ago. It's been so fast it's mind boggling." Something from the 1950s? The book was published in 2012-do women really behave this way nowadays? Second, the whole mystery is terribly ove...more
A letter postmarked from Istanbul arrives at Justine Nolans mothers’ house in Connecticut. Knowing that it will be months before her mom, Deborah, returns, Justine opens the letter. Little did she know how the letter will change her life.
The letter is written by Justine’s grandmother’s best friend asking for an end to the estrangement between Deborah and Justine’s grandmother, Gabrielle. The letter begs Deborah to let Gabrielle meet her grandkids before it is too late. Justine shares the letter...more
The letter is written by Justine’s grandmother’s best friend asking for an end to the estrangement between Deborah and Justine’s grandmother, Gabrielle. The letter begs Deborah to let Gabrielle meet her grandkids before it is too late. Justine shares the letter...more
Originally posted at PaperbackDolls.com.
I have never read a book by Barbara Bradford Taylor before but the synopsis of Letter from a Stranger sent from the publisher intrigued me so I agreed to review the book at their request. I loved the book and found it was a quick and easy read.
Letter from a Stranger is a book of romance, family, intrigue and the beautiful backdrop of Istanbul. In fact Taylor paints a picture of Istanbul that leaves you feeling as if you have been there yourself. I found my...more
I have never read a book by Barbara Bradford Taylor before but the synopsis of Letter from a Stranger sent from the publisher intrigued me so I agreed to review the book at their request. I loved the book and found it was a quick and easy read.
Letter from a Stranger is a book of romance, family, intrigue and the beautiful backdrop of Istanbul. In fact Taylor paints a picture of Istanbul that leaves you feeling as if you have been there yourself. I found my...more
A memorable work of historical fiction that spans from the 1930's to 2004 in such diverse locations as New York City, London, Istanbul, Berlin and Connecticut.
While I have read a great deal about the Holocaust of WW II, I knew very little about Istanbul. It was fascinating to learn about the city and its rich culture and history.
I especially enjoyed learning about tulips and the fact that they originated in Asia. Tulips have also been my favorite flowers, and I have always associated them with...more
While I have read a great deal about the Holocaust of WW II, I knew very little about Istanbul. It was fascinating to learn about the city and its rich culture and history.
I especially enjoyed learning about tulips and the fact that they originated in Asia. Tulips have also been my favorite flowers, and I have always associated them with...more
Justine Nolan is a Film Director, she lives in Manhattan she has a twin
brother Richard (who is grieving his wife’s death) and a niece Daisy. 8
years ago their mother (Deborah) moved to Californian therefore Justine
and Richard have use of her house. Deborah is away for 6 weeks in China
so when Justine is going through the mail she finds a letter addressed
to Deborah with an Istanbul postmark she opens it and is speechless and
shocked to learn that Deborah lied to them 10 years ago by telling th...more
brother Richard (who is grieving his wife’s death) and a niece Daisy. 8
years ago their mother (Deborah) moved to Californian therefore Justine
and Richard have use of her house. Deborah is away for 6 weeks in China
so when Justine is going through the mail she finds a letter addressed
to Deborah with an Istanbul postmark she opens it and is speechless and
shocked to learn that Deborah lied to them 10 years ago by telling th...more
2 likes · like · see review
Review first published on my blog: http://memoriesfrombooks.blogspot.com...
Letter From A Stranger is a book that travels across time and place and really tells two stories. One is the story of Justine. The second is the story of her grandmother Gabriele. Justine's story is the story of a woman discovering family secrets and struggling to make sense of them. Gabriele's story is the story of World War II and the story of survival.
Both stories are interesting and could have made an entire book onto...more
Letter From A Stranger is a book that travels across time and place and really tells two stories. One is the story of Justine. The second is the story of her grandmother Gabriele. Justine's story is the story of a woman discovering family secrets and struggling to make sense of them. Gabriele's story is the story of World War II and the story of survival.
Both stories are interesting and could have made an entire book onto...more
What a different book from what I was expecting. I've read books by Barbara Taylor Bradford before. She reminds me of Danielle Steel. The characters are always so handsome or beautiful. The descriptions about the clothing and the jewelry and the food and the flowers and the homes are so detailed that you feel like you are right there. The dialog is a bit "over-the-top" with such politeness and manners and everyone is "oh so dignified". But what I thought was going to be a mystery turned out to b...more
Jun 05, 2012
Lucy
rated it
1 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
audiobooks,
women-s-fiction
I like the premise: a grandmother is reunited with her grandchildren after an estrangement caused by their mother, who had let them think Gran was dead. The main setting is lush, exotic, and fascinating: Istanbul. The characters are interesting, though far too weepy and emotional for my taste. True, the story is emotional, but their reactions are over-the-top. Too many coincidences. The big payoff at the end (the mother's reason for the estrangement) wasn't much of a surprise.
Had I been reading...more
Had I been reading...more
Justine Nolan is a documentary film maker who lost her beloved grandmother a decade ago—the person who was the only source of love and comfort in her life. Her own mother Deborah had always been distant and uninvolved, following her own agenda in pursuit of her career as an interior designer. But when Justine inadvertently opens a letter addressed to her mother, she discovers that not only is her grandmother Gabri alive, but that Deborah has deliberately estranged the family from her for all the...more
I really enjoyed this book. I found that Bradford brought the setting to life with her decriptions, both of the visual aspects and the emotional aspects of the places the characters had been. I felt that I was involved in experiencing both a tour of Istanbul, and a stay at Indian Ridge.
I did find it a little suspect that two siblings were so close to one another - however have very little experience with the twin bond. I was also slightly disappointed in the speed in which Justine and Michael me...more
I did find it a little suspect that two siblings were so close to one another - however have very little experience with the twin bond. I was also slightly disappointed in the speed in which Justine and Michael me...more
I thought this was a very good book. I think you might like it, Lisa. About a family torn apart - the mother telling her twin son and daughter upon their graduation from college that their beloved grandmother had died in a plane crash. Ten years later the mother receives a letter that the daughter opens saying she should contact the grandmother. Unfortunately there is no return address on the envelope, but the daughter remembers the person that wrote the letter was a very close friend of her gra...more
1 like · like · see review
This story sounded so good, I really wanted to like it! The writing was so terrible, tons of extra words just thrown in, it felt like high school when you added words to just make the paper longer. The characters were just not real, too rich, too dramatic, too perfect. Constantly reminded sentence after sentence of teh same thing, traits that were already established. (Twin Bond to name one) I stuck with it for several chapters hoping that once it got going it would get better as the story line...more
The love story in this book was not at all realistic. The happy couple knew each other for maybe three days and then bam- cliched declarations of love!
Justine and her twin brother Richard become estranged from their beloved grandmother through their evil mother's shenanigans. I won't say more because I do not want to spoil anything.
Gran lived through World War II and her experiences during that time were to me the most interesting part of the book.
I have read a bit on the subject of WWII and po...more
Justine and her twin brother Richard become estranged from their beloved grandmother through their evil mother's shenanigans. I won't say more because I do not want to spoil anything.
Gran lived through World War II and her experiences during that time were to me the most interesting part of the book.
I have read a bit on the subject of WWII and po...more
I really liked this author's early sagas about Emma Harte, starting with A Woman of Substance, but her books have gotten flimsier over the years. This one, while not exactly flimsy at 400 pages, focuses on a woman's quest to find her grandmother after learning she did not die in a plane crash. Lots of interesting details about Istanbul but the premise as to why the woman thought her grandmother was dead was weak as well as the instantaneous and convenient love the woman finds. At some points ove...more
Excellent touching book..I like the character Justine for many reason filmmaker and willing to track her grandmother down so curoius to KNOW her!!
Rediscovering her grandmother who she didnt know and finding out on the letters the difficult time her grandmother growing up during the holocaust losing many for her supporters and her family . I cried too ) nice story on istanbul and the culture too . Iffett the character/personatily reminds me of a nice friend I know in a forgeien country :-)
Rem...more
Desde que li a sinopse deste livro que algo me despertou a atenção. Não conseguia explicar o que era, mas queria ter a oportunidade de o ler e essa leitura acabou por ser mais ou menos aquilo que eu esperava. Este é um livro que promete ao seu leitor revelar segredos e paixões, mas na verdade penso que apenas irá revelar um dos segredos mais bem guardados da família Nolan. Tudo começa quando Justine abre uma misteriosa carta endereçada à sua mae e o que descobre irá mudar a sua vida e da sua fa...more
I had trouble with this book. The story is good. I think. But I found the writing really awkward; redundant and repetitive in spots, and overly explanatory in others. It didn't seem to flow in any way, and none of the characters seemed to have their own voice. Sometimes it seemed the author had added extra phrases or expressions just to up the word count, or in an effort to explain something that needed no explanation. And there was an overuse of cliche expressions, to the point where I wanted t...more
I have loved all of Barbara Taylor Bradford's books and Letter From A Stranger is no exception. The book was nothing like I expected but it drew you in from the beginning. The memoir written by Gabri/Gran was unbelievably vivid and you felt every emotion. Throughout the book there was laughter and tears, romance and strong female characters. I would love to see a continuation of this story. While there is closure due to the epilogue there is so much story to tell of the reunion, the new family d...more
2 likes · like · see review
It was a nice romance. It reminded me a lot of the Hotel On The Corner of Bitter and Sweet. I was almost surprised when i looked it up that it wasn't written by the same author. Just like the previous mentioned book there is history, romance and its a little slow. There is also a page long sex scene so beware nothing too explicit and it only happens once but its still there. So not a book for teenagers. The history part takes place in World War two which topic always interests me and a family th...more
I like a story where there are family secrets and you keep reading to see the reaction of the players involved, but, this book was a disappointment. The characters were so perfect, in manner and in dress, it just didn't ring true. The dialogue was sti
lted and the story too contrived. I expected more from this author. I have enjoyed many of her books in the past and will read her upcoming books, but this one ran flat.
The setting was in Istanbul and the descriptions were good. I never knew that...more
lted and the story too contrived. I expected more from this author. I have enjoyed many of her books in the past and will read her upcoming books, but this one ran flat.
The setting was in Istanbul and the descriptions were good. I never knew that...more
I was thinking to myself throughout this book that I was going to give it 5 stars, really liking this author. But up until the end of the book, I'm still waiting for that big secret, that big reveal about Gabrielle. Reading about her World War II memories was thrilling and quite sad, but the way the author made it sound, it was as if Gabrielle killed someone, and I was actually thinking it was going to be revealed that she had something to do with the death of her friend Irina. But no. Everythin...more
Filmmaker Justine opes a letter addressed to her absentee mother and discovers that the grandmother she was told died in a plane crush ten years ago is alive. Determined to find her grandmother, Justine heads to Istanbul with only a few clues. After an unlikely fluke brings the two together Justine is given Gran's journal, Fragments of a Life, which leads back to WWII Germany. the story includes unrelenting friendship, devotion, family closeness and alienation, bigotry, lush place descriptions a...more
This book had some good qualities. It gives a vivid description and insight into Berlin during World War 2, a horrible time in history. I also enjoyed the tour through Istanbul. But, the story really did not captivate me until Justine was finally reunited with her grandmother and this part did stir the emotions. I felt the book was over-written and the storyline seemed forced ---- not any real redeeming qualities. I was rather disappointed, especially since Barbara Taylor Bradford has always bee...more
I would give this book negative stars if I could...
The premise is good. The writing is horrid. The story is choppy, at best and feels forced. The conversation between Americans keeps grabbing English phrases, for no apparent reason. There are random comments thrown in to the story that just feel like an afterthought. I usually only give a book 40 pages, but I really wanted to enjoy this story. I gave it 150 pages and they were painful and never once made me care about a single character in the s...more
The premise is good. The writing is horrid. The story is choppy, at best and feels forced. The conversation between Americans keeps grabbing English phrases, for no apparent reason. There are random comments thrown in to the story that just feel like an afterthought. I usually only give a book 40 pages, but I really wanted to enjoy this story. I gave it 150 pages and they were painful and never once made me care about a single character in the s...more
I liked this book, it had me from the first line. The book was basically about Justine's grandmother and her story, but I wish she had developed the character of Michael more. I kept wondering exactly what it is he did for a living. I always got the impression from the very first introduction of this character that there was something more, darker & mysterious but the author never really got around to him - it really left me wondering and a bit disappointed.It kind of fell flat at the end, e...more
Avec "Lettre d'une Etrangère", Barbara Taylor Bradford signe une émouvante saga familiale et invite le lecteur à un passionnant voyage dans le temps et l'espace. Des paysages envoûtants d'Istanbul au Berlin en ruines de la Seconde Guerre mondiale, le lecteur se passionnera pour l'histoire stupéfiante de Gabriele et sa famille.
Malgré des personnages un peu trop "lisses" et une intrigue qui se dénoue peut-être un peu trop facilement, l'auteure réussit un mélange des genres osé. Grâce à un impressi...more
Malgré des personnages un peu trop "lisses" et une intrigue qui se dénoue peut-être un peu trop facilement, l'auteure réussit un mélange des genres osé. Grâce à un impressi...more
Mar 23, 2013
Sónia
rated it
3 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
segredo-dos-livros,
2013
Nunca vos apeteceu ler um livro apenas e só com base na capa? Logo que soube do lançamento desta obra, achei a capa encantadora e lembrei de há uns anos ter lido boas opiniões acerca da autora numa revista inglesa.
O início da leitura foi bastante auspicioso, dando-me cada vez mais vontade de ler para conhecer o que tinha motivado a "separação forçada" no meandro daquela família.
É uma estória simples mas que acaba por transmitir bons valores em termos de fraternidade. É curioso que, por vezes, s...more
O início da leitura foi bastante auspicioso, dando-me cada vez mais vontade de ler para conhecer o que tinha motivado a "separação forçada" no meandro daquela família.
É uma estória simples mas que acaba por transmitir bons valores em termos de fraternidade. É curioso que, por vezes, s...more
There are no discussion topics on this book yet.
Be the first to start one »
Barbara Taylor Bradford is the author of 25 bestselling novels, including Playing the Game, Breaking the Rules, and The Ravenscar Dynasty. She was born in Leeds, England, and from an early age, she was a voracious reader: at age 12, she had already read all of Dickens and the Brontë sisters. By the age of twenty, she was an editor and columnist on Fleet Street. She published her first novel, A Wom...more
More about Barbara Taylor Bradford...
Share This Book
No trivia or quizzes yet. Add some now »
May 19, 2012 09:32am